‘Shambles’: Radio host lashes Channel 9 after leaders’ debate descends into shouting match

One of the nation’s best-known radio hosts has lashed out as his own employer in an furious spray in the wake of Sunday’s disastrous debate.

One of Australia’s biggest radio stars has slammed his own network over last night’s “messy” leaders’ debate.

2GB host Ben Fordham – who is one of the biggest names in Channel 9’s media stable – spent much of his time on air on Monday morning hitting out at his own employer’s performance hosting the so-called “Great Debate”.

Fordham took particular aim over the war of words which erupted between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese, which saw host Sarah Abo repeatedly interrupted and ignored.

“It wasn’t great. It was a shambles. It was messy, disjointed, awkward. All over the shop,” Fordham said this morning.

2GB’s Ben Fordham lashed his own employer over last night’s debate. Picture: Gaye Gerard/Daily Telegraph

“Channel 9 was not the winner. When the TV ratings come out, I think it will show that. I think the ratings will show that Australians would have largely turned off the contest.

“People have got better things to do then waste their Sunday night listening to two people talking over each other. It’s like watching two blokes at the pub arguing over the colour of the carpet.

“There were strict rules in place, including a sixty second limit on answers, but the rules were quickly ignored by the leaders. They spoke over the moderator Sarah Abo.”

It comes as Nine’s “Great Debate” format was also slammed by viewers and political commentators as a “s**tshow” after Sunday’s showdown descended into a shouting match between the two hopefuls.

Furious Aussies wasted no time in slamming the debate on social media, with one describing it as the “worst debate I have ever seen”, and political commentator Ronni Salt declaring it an “insult to the audience”.

This is the worst debate I have ever seen.. Channel 9 you are hopeless .. Just disgraceful. #LeadersDebate

— Politic@l Spinner (@LesStonehouse) May 8, 2022

This is an appalling shit show Channel Nine.

I'm switching off.

It's an insult to the audience.#LeadersDebate

— Ronni Salt (@RonniSalt) May 8, 2022

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young took the opportunity to call for an Independent Debates Commission that oversees the official election debate broadcast on the ABC, while ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland also took to Twitter to point out that “It’s not too late for an ABC debate”.

Tonight’s debate was woeful and a disservice to the voters.

We need an Independent Debates Commission that oversees the offical election debate broadcast on the ABC.

I will move for this in the new parliament.

Australians shouldn’t be subjected to this unseemly squabble again

— 💚🌏 Sarah Hanson-Young (@sarahinthesen8) May 8, 2022

It's not too late for an ABC debate...

If you watched last night's ch 9 encounter between @ScottMorrisonMP and @AlboMP, let us know what you thought.@BreakfastNews#auspol
(pic: @ellinghausen) pic.twitter.com/pmO4rxNZ7o

— Michael Rowland (@mjrowland68) May 8, 2022

Meanwhile, ABC data analyst Casey Briggs pointed out that “viewer verdicts” from public debates were “utterly meaningless”, and The Guardian’s Josh Butler also took the chance to poke fun at the nation’s “smartest minds”.

these 'viewer verdict' numbers are completely and utterly meaningless and they don't deserve to be given any credibility whatsoever

— casey briggs (@CaseyBriggs) May 8, 2022

Tuning into Channel 9 to watch some of the nation’s smartest minds in square off in a ruthless battle of intellect

but now that Lego Masters is over, I’m also looking forward to watching the leaders election debate too

— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) May 8, 2022

During last night’s debate, host Sarah Abo repeatedly tried to bring things back under control after the Prime Minister and Labor leader both lost their temper in a heated argument over the Solomon Islands and China.

“You both agreed to the rules,” Abo pleaded at one point, as the two men shouted over her and each other.

The ugly scenes started with Mr Morrison being asked to define what his “red line” would entail if China established a military base in the Solomons.

“It means that was something Australia believes would be completely against our national interest, and we also believe it will be against the Solomon Islands’ national interest, and we share that view in a similar language with the United States,” he said.

Asked by host Chris Uhlmann how Australia would enforce such a “red line”, Mr Morrison said it would be “very unwise for any government to speculate around these issues”.

Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison. Picture: Alex Ellinghausen

“What is the point of talking about a red line if we don’t know what you mean by it?” Uhlmann asked

“What it means is, everyone has a clear understanding about what the positions are … people understand that we would work with partners to ensure that the outcome would prevent it,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Albanese then chimed in that it had been a “massive foreign policy failure”, the “biggest since the Second World War”.

“The government said they would have the Pacific Step Up. Instead, it is a Pacific stuff-up,” he said. “We know China is more aggressive and forward leaning in the region. We know they are trying to increase their influence in the region.”

Mr Morrison asked Mr Albanese why Labor cut defence spending.

“I will make this comment, Scott. When I was a minister, we put US Marines into Darwin. When you have been a minister we have had the Port of Darwin sold to a company connected with the Chinese Communist Party,” he replied.

That triggered an angry response from the PM, who insisted the federal government “had no authority over that sale whatsoever”.

“Your party, you ticked it off – you allowed it to happen,” Mr Albanese insisted.

“You could not have had any influence over the CLP [Country Liberal Party] government in the Territory, when they sold off the Port of Darwin to China?”

Host Sarah Abo struggled to keep the two in line. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Abo attempted to interject during this exchange as the two yelled over each other. “I think we are getting more questions,” she said.

“Excuse me, I think we‘re getting more questions between the two of you than from our panel … Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese, this is enough, we do need to move on … You both agreed to the rules this evening.”

The two leaders got into another round of yelling after the PM asked how the Labor leader would “stand up to China when some of the loudest voices on being pro-Beijing come from your party”, repeating an attack on deputy leader Richard Marles.

“That is an outrageous slur,” Mr Albanese said.

“Labor has always been good on national security. Labor will always take national security issues seriously.”

“How often has Richard Marles met with the Chinese Ambassador in Australia?” Mr Morrison asked.

“That is just an outrageous slur,” Mr Albanese said.

“How many times, do you know?”

“Well, how many times has your government, which you are part of, invited the leader of the Chinese Communist Party to address the parliament?”

Albo said ‘outrageous slur’ quite a few times. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

“Once.”

“That is the only time it has happened, and Labor never did. Labor never did.”

“He [Richard Marles] runs his speeches past the Chinese government.”

“That is an outrageous slur,” Mr Albanese said again, as the yelling resumed.

“We do need to move on,” Abo said. “We have given you more than enough time. The pair of you have had more than enough time. You agreed to these rules before coming on the program tonight.”

Speaking after the debate, Abo agreed with her fellow hosts that she needed a whistle during the exchange.

“Or a gavel, because they were not listening,” she said. “That speaks to the night, they were really engaged.”

Reaction to the debate online was mixed.

“This format is not great,” Sky News political editor Andrew Clennell wrote.

ABC comedian Mark Humphries suggested Nine “should remove the second word from that ‘The Great Debate’ graphic”.

He added, “Big cheers to everyone who made it to end of that s**tshow.”

There was further confusion when Nine revealed the winner of the debate, with Abo originally saying Mr Albanese won 52 per cent to 48 per cent.

But minutes later she said Mr Morrison had won 51 per cent to 49 per cent after a further 30,000 votes had been counted.

Finally Abo said it was a dead heat 50-50 verdict.